Electrically-tunable lenses and lens systems

A method for producing an optical device, the method comprising:

• providing an electro-optical layer, having an effective local index of refraction at any given location within an active area of the electro-optical layer that is determined by a voltage waveform applied across the electro-optical layer at the location;
• positioning a first array of first excitation electrodes to extend along respective, mutually-parallel first axes in a first direction over the active area on a first side of the electro-optical layer;
• positioning a second array of second excitation electrodes to extend along respective, mutually-parallel second axes in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction, over the active area on a second side of the electro-optical layer, opposite the first side;
• and
• coupling control circuitry to apply simultaneously respective first control voltage waveforms to the first excitation electrodes and respective second control voltage waveforms to second excitation electrodes and is configured to concurrently and independently modify both the respective first control voltage waveforms applied to each of the first excitation electrodes and the respective second control voltage waveforms applied to each of the second excitation electrodes so as to generate a specified phase modulation profile in the electro-optical layer.

An optical device, comprising:

• an electro-optical layer, having an effective local index of refraction at any given location within an active area of the electro-optical layer that is determined by a voltage waveform applied across the electro-optical layer at the location, the electro-optical layer having opposing first and second sides;
• conductive electrodes extending over the first and second sides of the electro-optical layer, the conductive electrodes comprising an array of excitation electrodes comprising parallel stripes of a transparent conductive material;
• and
• control circuitry, which is coupled to apply respective control voltage waveforms to the excitation electrodes and to modify the control voltage waveforms applied to each of the excitation electrodes concurrently and independently so as to generate in the electro-optical layer a specified phase modulation profile containing abrupt phase transitions, while applying the respective control voltage waveforms with opposite polarities to pairs of mutually-adjacent excitation electrodes in a vicinity of the abrupt phase transitions.